


Shattered Bonding

by Yulicia



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-20
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2019-01-01 01:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12145530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yulicia/pseuds/Yulicia
Summary: Ren can't concentrate. There is a disturbance in the Force and he knows he has to do something to calm it before he can meditate. He just didn't know getting the General to destroy some kitchenware would be the solution.





	Shattered Bonding

The air in Ren’s quarters was completely still, devoid of any movement or life. No sound could be heard but for the softness of the Knight’s breath and the ever present hum of the Finalizer below. The sheets beneath Ren were soft but familiar. This would have been an ideal situation to meditate within, for Ren to regain his shaky balance in the force and to fulfil Snoke’s wishes, were it not for the truly irritating buzz fluttering around in his chest.

The feeling was unfamiliar, annoying, and completely stopped Ren from focusing on the task at hand. He needed complete serenity in order for his meditation to be even remotely beneficial and the chance at that was being stolen by a constant tickling across his skin.

It was uncomfortable. It was uncomfortable and most annoyingly of all he couldn’t exactly place why he was feeling this way. It was a disturbance in the Force, that much he knew, but beyond that he couldn’t deduce the origin.

It wasn’t from within - he’d certainly felt that sensation before. Turmoil from within him often came in the form of an ache or a sting in his gut, not the nervous fluttering that felt not unlike a butterflies wings dancing across his flesh, causing it to prickle in response. No, this sensation came from without, and it felt both far away and far to close at the same time. It perplexed him. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Ren huffed, realising quickly that is was unlikely he was going to be able to complete his task for as long as that sensation remained to irritate him. He swung his legs off of the bed, his feet hitting the floor with a heavy clang. He grabbed his mask, shoved it onto his head and made his way towards the core of the sensation.

He could vaguely sense its location, and it was coming from the other side of the ship. He had originally guessed that it could be a disturbance in machinery, a piece of equipment malfunctioning and causing a dip in the Force surrounding it but, upon later introspection, it didn’t feel quite like something inanimate was doing this. The sensation was too lifelike, too human.

He walked slowly, stalking the hall like a hound sniffing out a particular scent. Patrols of Stormtroopers eyed him warily, unused to seeing the Knight at this late hour. Ren paid them no mind – it wasn’t them who was causing the disturbance.

His feet found him drawing closer towards the end of the officer’s quarter’s hallway deep within the bowels of the ship. The hallway was silent. Ren frowned.

Ren contemplated turning and leaving, ready to give up and save his meditation for tomorrow when the irritating fluttering had subsided when he heard heavy footfalls nearing the bend in the corner. The footsteps were heavy, sluggish, as if the individual they belonged to was barely able to drag their feet far enough to get themselves to walk.

A familiar spark of orange hair rounded the corner. Ren stepped back, cloaking himself in the shadows of the hallway, not in the mood for a hostile confrontation with the General.

As he watched Hux stumble towards the door of his quarters he noticed something. Hux looked _exhausted._ There were heavy purple bruises under his glazed eyes and his shoulders displayed a hunched tenseness. He moved his arm as if it were made of durasteel, having to labour to force his muscles to move.  

The fluttering against Ren’s skin had amplified and he knew in his heart it was Hux’s Force signature that was the one causing the irritation.

Ren’s footsteps were quiet as he approached Hux. Hux’s back was to him and his hand was hovering over the entrance keypad. He stopped behind him and Hux hadn’t seemed to notice. Ren frowned. It wasn’t like him to be _this_ oblivious.

“General.”

Hux flinched at the sound, his shoulders hitching in fright. He spun to look at Ren, the look in his eyes both exhausted and deathly.

He huffed a sigh. “What do you want, Ren?”

Ren faulted for a moment. _For you to stop disturbing my meditation,_ Ren wanted to say but restrained himself.  

“You’re tense,” He said instead.

Hux eyed him warily. “Astute observation.”

Ren breathed, the sound crackling in his mask. “Why?”

Hux’s eyebrows furrowed, beginning to lose his patience. “I don’t think it’s any of your business.”

“Everything on this ship is my business.”

Hux huffed, a growl beginning to creep into the sound. His chest heaved with the force it took him to hold back his fury. “Because,” Hux bit, “a critical operation is nearing its completion and if there even a single misstep in its progress it’s all on my head.”

Ren tipped his head slightly in confusion. “Starkiller has been a smooth operation for months.”

“Because I have kept it that way,” Hux snapped. He glared at Ren, his eyes burning. “Now can I go? I have four hours until my next shift and I’d like to get some rest in that time.”

Usually Ren relished riling up the General, getting under his skin and getting to see the cracks beneath that perfect mask he chose to parade around in but this time… this time didn’t feel quite so joyous. He felt like he was kicking an injured tooka-cat.

“Sleep will not bring you the calm you seek.”

Hux rolled his eyes. “Very vague, Ren, thank you,” He said, his voice monotone and disinterested, “And maybe not. But it’s certainly not going to hurt me.”

Ren could feel Hux radiating with exhaustion and nervous energy, a volatile cocktail that was likely to cause Hux to spent the night completely sleepless, and to cause that irritating force disturbance to continue. Hux raised his hand to enter his password into the keypad when Ren spoke once more, suddenly struck with an idea.

“Come with me.”

Ren could hear the leather of Hux’s glove crunch as he clenched his fists.

“Have we not just been through this?” He huffed, “Whatever you want surely it can wait a few hours?”

Ren paused for a moment, trying to find his words. “This is for your benefit.”

Hux cocked an eyebrow at that. “Somehow I doubt that.”

Ren huffed, seeing that this conversation was going absolutely nowhere. He, nor Hux, had the time for one of their usual arguments. Instead, Ren simply strode forward, bend down and grabbed Hux by the knees, throwing him over his shoulder with a laboured grunt.

Predictably, Hux immediately began to protest.

“What the kriff do you think you’re doing!?” He shrieked, “Put me down!”

Hux wriggled in his arms, fighting against Ren’s tight hold. Ren winced against the rough jabbing of Hux’s fingers against his back and shoulder, but made no noise to indicate he was in any pain. Hux squirmed the entire time he was in Ren’s arms, and Ren was almost certain he was going to have bruises along his side from where Hux had kicked him. Repeatedly.

It was not until Ren reached his intended destination – the kitchen supply room – when he put Hux down, freeing both Hux from his grasp and himself from further injury. Although on second thought, looking at the fiery anger present in Hux’s eyes as he did so, maybe he wasn’t quite as safe as he’d originally thought.   

“What was that for?!” Hux began to lecture him, spittle flying from his mouth, “You had no right to do that! I am not to be disrespected like this, no matter how insignificant you _think_ my command is—“

Hux was cut off from his rant by Ren shoving a glass cup into his hands. Hux stared at the object for a moment, his brows deeply furrowed.

“What—“ Hux began to ask.

“Throw it,” Ren commanded.

“What? Throw it where?” Hux asked, “And could you at least do me the favour of taking off that blasted mask!”

Ren breathed heavily, trying valiantly to keep himself from rolling his eyes. If he’d thought Hux was going to question him as much as he was now Ren might have had second thoughts about helping him. And then that irritating crawling sensation made itself known against his skin again and he remembered why he was here.

He pulled at his mask, taking it off in one fell motion, shaking his head to free his hair. Hux seemed momentarily stunned by the action, his eyes widening just enough that Ren could notice them before his impassive expression returned.

“Throw it against the wall,” Ren commanded.

Hux hesitated for a moment, opening his mouth as if he was going to protest further. Ren cut him off before he could.

“Trust me.”

Hux huffed, looking at the glass in his hand. He sighed heavily and then threw it against the wall, the glass bursting on impact, the shards glittering against the black durasteel floor.

“Great,” Hux droned, “Now there’s a mess.”

Ren shoved another glass into his hands, this one bigger than the last one. “Again.”

“Why are you getting me to do this—“

“Again,” Ren repeated, holding steady eye contact with Hux.

Hux huffed, the sound bordering on a growl, and then threw the glass against the wall with a ragged shout. Ren could hear the frustration in his voice. Good. This is what he wanted to happen.

Ren wordlessly shoved a plate in front of Hux, who snatched it and ditched it against the ground, jumping back to avoid the spray of ceramic that ensured. Ren could see Hux beginning to get caught up in the destruction he was causing, his eyes beginning to take on a wild quality. He knew it wouldn’t take much more pushing before the intended rage would be freed from him.

And he was right. It only took one last dish-aided push before Hux was seeking out projectiles himself. Something cracked inside Hux. He lost himself to his anger, the anger Ren knew had been simmering deep below the surface beginning to blossom outwards. Plates and glasses and other silverware crashed and clattered against the walls of the supply room as Hux continued his rampage.

Hux swept his arm across an entire table with a yell, forcing several dishes to fall to the floor with a mixture of shattering ceramic and metal trays that clattered loudly against the floor without breaking. Hux watched the dishes as they shattered into several tiny pieces, transfixed on their destruction.

Hux, seeming finished in his rampage, stumbled back towards Ren, collapsing against the wall beside him. He sat with this back against the wall looking out on the chaos he had caused, his chest heaving.

In that moment a sense of peace washed over the room and the crawling sensation had begun to dissipate. Ren could see the lessened tension in Hux’s shoulders. It was if that one glass had opened the floodgates and now no longer did that simmering anger have to sit below the surface and fester, it could be free.

Ren folded himself to sit beside Hux, his heat radiating beside him. Hux had his head in his hands, his hair falling in disarray onto them.

They sat in silence for some time before Hux finally calmed enough to speak.

“Look at this mess,” he said, gesturing vaguely outwards, “What a waste this was. I’ve just created more paperwork for myself.”

“I’ll do it,” Ren said.

“Do what?”

“The paperwork.”

Hux looked at him with a look of amused shock. “You? Paperwork? I didn’t think you knew how.”

Ren huffed a laugh. “I’m full of surprises.”

Hux hummed. “I’m sure.”

There was a momentary lull in their conversation.

“Is this why you do this?” Hux asked.

Ren nodded.

“It’s still expensive, and still destructive,” Hux mused, “But I can see why now.”

“Have you never done something like this before?” Ren asked.

Hux barked a laugh and shook his head. “The Academy would have expelled me if I’d pulled anything like this. And my father before that, well, he would have had my head for it.” Hux paused for a moment. “I hate you for showing me this.”  

Ren nodded in understanding. “I know.”  

They sat in silence some time more, the lull in their conversation strangely comfortable instead of uncomfortable as it usually was. Eventually Ren felt a heavy weight drop against his shoulder and when he looked down he saw that weight was Hux’s head. He was fast asleep, snoring softly against his shoulder, the tension completely drained from his body. Hux really must have been exhausted. He’d never let his guard down around Ren like this before.

Ren found it strangely endearing, seeing the stalwart General fast asleep against his shoulder, but also incredibly stupid. Had their circumstances been different, and has Ren been much of an opportunist, Hux could have found himself in mortal danger.

Instead, he closed his eyes as well, reaching out with the Force. No longer was that fluttering irritation present in the force, the origin of it snoozing comfortably against his arm, his frustrations lost to an army of silverware.

For the moment, Hux was at peace and Ren could concentrate.

   

**Author's Note:**

> I am on Tumblr as stardestroyervigilance here


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